And The Award Goes To . . . : Leading Ladies
Wednesday, January 28, 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Instructor: Jennifer Fleeger, Ph.D., Montclair State University
Leo McCarey’s The Awful Truth (1937) was an enormous success for Columbia Pictures, receiving six Oscar nominations and setting off a three-picture collaboration between Cary Grant and co-star Irene Dunne. And as with many American screwball comedies, this one has a great deal to say about class, gender, and changing expectations of marriage.
The seminar will explore McCarey’s relationship to these themes, from his work in silent-era slapstick to his tendency to film stories of romantic do-overs. We’ll discuss the development of the Cary Grant persona and McCarey’s role in nurturing it, as well as the conditions that enabled its popularity. We’ll talk about what makes for good screen chemistry, nodding to the history of these particular actors as well as to film theorists who philosophize the visibility of feeling.
We’ll also explore earlier attempts to adapt Arthur Richman’s original play and connect the success of this film to other comedic divorce narratives of the 1930s and, paradoxically, to McCarey’s rather messy approach to script development. We’ll discuss poor Ralph Bellamy, ever the third wheel. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we will conclude with a brief sojourn into the history of dogs in American screen comedy, a journey which, much like the behavior of Grant and Dunne in The Awful Truth, returns the cinema to its vaudevillian roots.
Are you interested in “just” seeing this movie? Visit the public screening page here. This And the Award Goes to…: Leading Ladies seminar is presented in partnership with 6abc in advance of the 98th Academy Awards.
Cinema Classics Seminars offer an entertaining and engaging way to learn more about some of the true classics of world cinema. All students receive an introductory lecture before the film and a guided discussion after the film. In addition, those in attendance receive a ticket to see it on the big screen, as well as popcorn and a drink. Please note: the screening associated with this seminar will be open to the public, as well.
Please contact BMFI Programs and Education Manager Jill Malcolm with any questions.
$30 for members, $40 for non-members
Schedule